Saturday, 5 June 2010

St Anthony's Well, Llansteffan

Llansteffan is a lovely place to visit. It is on the estuary of the Towy River, downstream from Carmarthen just before the river flows into the sea.

Up on the hill above the village are the ruins of a dramatic cliff-top castle. The views from up here are spectacular.

But less obvious, tucked away down a narrow, tree-lined footpath leading from the beach is a place to treasure.

Here, stepping through an unremarkable old door set in a stone wall and down stone steps, you find yourself in a tiny courtyard overhung with wisteria and honeysuckle.

This is St Anthony's Well, a place of pilgrimage for hundreds of years. It delights me that this holy place - hidden away from the casual observer - is still visited and honoured to this day with offerings of flowers, shells, crystals and foliage.

When IB and I visited earlier today, the alcove of the well was filled with such gifts, and the plaque depicting St Anthony himself had been garlanded with wildflowers.

The well has such a tranquil, sacred atmosphere it is one of my favourite places to visit. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone seeking to visit ancient sacred sites in the Carmarthen area. Take some time out to relish the peace there. And don't forget to bring a shell from the beach, or a wildflower from the lane for St Anthony!

4 comments:

ohh i love secret doors leading to special places :)swampy and i are planning a long awaited trip to Wales~hopefully this year~part holiday part back to my roots~now we have somewhere else to add to our list of 'must do'!thank you so much for sharingxoxoox

About Me

A home-loving Cancerian witch trying to live lightly on the earth in wild West Wales. My glass is usually half full (metaphorically speaking!). Find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susan.moonroot

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My Golden Compass Daemon Is...

Your result for The Golden Compass Daemon Test...

Open Sensitive Soul

You are an open, emotional person and very sensitive to the things going on around you. You are empathetic and make an excellent listener, but you also like to share your thoughts, feelings, and opinions with the world. You are not particularly extroverted, preferring time at home with a group of friends than a busy and stressful night out among strangers and acquaintances.

You wear your heart on your sleeve, and probably become upset when someone tries to give you constructive criticism. Your loved ones tend to accidentally hurt your feelings with their insensitive, off-hand remarks, and then accuse you of being too sensitive.

You are open and honest, and you do not do well at hiding your feelings, even when you try. You prefer to get things out in the open and resolve them, rather than leaving them to fester. Other people might sometimes frustrate you by hiding their feelings, shrugging and saying "oh well" instead of standing up for themselves, like you try to do.

Your daemon's form would represent highly sensitive nature, your frank honesty, and your devotion to friends and family. He or she would stick close to you and whisper comfort and advice in your ear most of the time. When you or your loved ones needed defending, however, he or she would become as openly vocal as you, and help you in your protestations.